1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for removing pathological centers useful for humans and animals. The device includes a supply capillary having a supply channel for a pressurized flow and a discharge capillary with a discharge channel, which is open to the pathological center, for suction flow.
Such devices are used in human and veterinary medicine, wherein pathological centers are understood as including bodily impairments and deficiencies in general.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pathological or etiological centers of the aforedescribed type can be found in the brain and in the central nervous system, including the eyes, and in those body structures which calls for a particularly mild form of invasive surgery due to the concentration of nerve and blood vessel tissue or other conditions. According to the present teachings, specialists treat or remove such pathological centers by surgical or micro-surgical means. These means are characterized by an applied force which is entirely or at least predominantly directed in a forward direction. These means include, for example, scalpels of any kind, coagulators and lasers of any kind, ultrasound aspirators, and the like. An pathological center or degenerative impairment of the aforedescribed type is, for example, a lens of the eye which may be impaired by a cataract and therefore may have to be removed and replaced by an artificial lens.
The first incision in the eye is a tunnel incision and the anterior capsule is opened with a flawless, preferably circular capsolorhexis. An instrument is then pushed into the diseased lens through this opening. The lens is then fractured, preferably by ultrasound, initially into small fragments which are subsequently suctioned off. After all fragments have been removed and the chamber of the eye has been cleaned, an artificial lens is inserted into the chamber of the eye through the channel of a special instrument. The lens relaxes when the instrument is pulled out and again assumes its original lens shape. Finally the artificial lens is oriented and secured in place.
Although this surgical procedure since has become routine, complications may still occur. For example, the residual fragments of the diseased lens can still not be completely removed from the chamber of the eye, since some of the peripheral fragments of the diseased cell residues are obscured from the view of the surgeon and may therefore remain in place. This creates a risk that the cataracts return. The cell residues can only be partially mobilized by manually injecting a fluid. In addition, the ultrasound energy produces excess heat which heats the corneal tissue and causes a loss of endothetical cells.
This surgical procedure also requires a variety of different surgical tools and a considerable number of independent time-consuming steps. This increases the cost of the surgical procedure. The large number of surgical steps and the large number of surgical tools also are demanding on the surgeon. As a result, the success of such a surgical procedure depends to a large extent on the surgeon's qualifications.
It is therefore an object of the invention to develop a method of the aforedescribed type which is less demanding on the surgeon, which can be performed in less time, and which is more gentle on the healthy tissue.